The state of Apple's platform lock-in
I’ve written a piece for macgasm, outlining the current state of Apple’s ecosystem regarding platform lock-in.
If you’re interested in how ‘Apple’s golden cage’ — as it is sometimes called by pundits — actually looks like, I encourage you to read the article.
I just saw this video on the brilliant German Apple site fscklog.
It shows a new way to navigate text in iOS5, but it seems to be only available in Apple’s iWork applications as of now.
When trying to navigate inside a word for example, instead of invoking the magnifying glass — which can be unreliable sometimes — the user can now make short swipes to the left or right with one finger to move the cursor one character at a time.
I sincerely hope this is part of an official API, because I know a few apps that could make great use of this.
(via fscklog: Neue Cursor-Wischgeste in den iWork-Apps unter iOS 5)
Jim Dalrymple's review of the new iPhone 4S
Great and to-the-point review of the new iPhone 4S, showcasing nicely how the improvements over the iPhone 4 will affect everyday usage.
If you only read one review of the device, make it this one.
Goodbye Steve Jobs
I know this will sound stupid to some people, but it feels like a friend has died.
I’ve never met Steve Jobs, I don’t even work in an industry connected to Apple, I’m just a consumer who’s been using Apple products for a few years.
Still I feel connected to this man, through his legacy that is Apple Inc. and the products which have made my life more pleasant and my job easier.
Thanks Steve.
This was pretty much my initial reaction after the Event yesterday, just check the post below this one.
It hasn’t changed much since then, but after reading up on the iPhone 4S and all the improvements, I think it’s more than a worthy upgrade.
Most nerds, tech pundits and the likes won’t recognise this for what it is, but the consumer won’t care. The improved camera alone will sell this to millions of people. Bringing the iPhone on par with the iPad 2 in terms of raw processing power is another thing consumers will only realise when they pick up an older iPhone or any Android device and experience the sluggishness of the UI in general.
(via Dead Silence - Comixed - 4 panel comic strip (yonkoma or 4koma))“Let’s talk iPhone” event recap
I followed the event on Twitter, Arstechnica.com and Macworld.com (as long as their live blogs were up).I wasn’t overly impressed, but far from disappointed:
- We finally have a shipping date for iOS 5 and iCloud (Oct. 12th), which is what I was most interested in.
- The ‘Family and Friends’ feature is a nice addition that will surely come in handy sometime.
- The new watch faces for the iPod nano might be whimsical, but I think they are a nice touch.
- I think the Touch deserved some kind of hardware upgrade, not just a new colour, something like a storage bump to 128 Gb.
- The iPhone 4S is a logical upgrade, with a nice speed bump, longer battery life, impressive theoretical 3G speeds and an incredible upgrade to the camera. The latter feature is the most tempting for me, because I shoot a lot of pictures with my iPhone 4. I really don’t mind them sticking with the design, as I find it to be the best since the original iPhone and one of Apple’s best designs, period.
- Siri I’m going to have to try in person. As a Star Trek geek I’m excited about the feature, but a bit sceptical; the demo sounded too good to be true.
my workspace, a set on Flickr.
I finally found the time to rearrange my workspace.
I’m quite happy with how it turned out.
TUAW: Conan O'Brien parodies iPhone 5 "loss"
The bad thing is, this is what devoted Andorid fans, or people who simply hate Apple, probably imagine the imagined “Apple Police” to be.
"The Loop" gets a major redesign
“The Loop”, my favourite Mac-centric site on the web has just received a major redesign.
Jim Dalrymple has changed his revenue model from purely ad-supported to a combination of monthly subscription — $3,- which is a steal if you ask me — and a partnership with Fusion Ads, for subtle and relevant advertisements that don’t get in the way of the story.
I urge everybody to check it out for themselves and subscribe if they like it. There are only few places on the internet that offer as insightful analysis concerning everything Apple as The Loop and not one matches its bluntness.
Great tear down by Craig Grannell of Timothy B. Lee’s nearsighted Forbes piece, “Why Google is Winning the Smartphone Wars”
Here’s the deal - the “smartphone wars” have been imagined by pundits and analysts for a variety of reasons, including linkbaiting, stock manipulation and incompetence.
We have never been at war with Eastgoogle.
Great short post by Harry Marks with a link to an equally great post.
The piece by Timothy B. Lee is so riddled with factual and logical errors, I wonder how this man managed to graduate.
"No one is safe" — How the editor of Windows magazine became an Apple fanboy
I don’t usually link to Cult of Mac, but this article merits an exception. Mike Elgan, former editor of the Windows Magazine realises that he has —slowly but steadily— become an Apple fanboy.
Even though I resent the term and he clarifies that he means “satisfied Apple customer” by that in the end, it is a nicely written piece, showing just how rationally thinking persons can ‘fall’ for Apple products.
This is the money quote:
Other companies could do extraordinary things in the future. Apple could falter. If all that happens, I’ll be happy to switch again. I have no unreasonable loyalty to Apple. I’m just a satisfied customer.
But my story should be a cautionary tale for the entire industry. At this particular moment, Apple has struck upon a devastating strategy for taking control of the consumer electronics industry and mainstream computing: Build simple, elegant, functional and beautiful devices at all points in the consumer electronics chain. The cheap little devices like iPods and iPhones charm people, and build trust and affinity for Apple, predisposing them to choose Apple for the bigger-ticket items.
Thanks to Kontra and Glenn Fleishman for the link.
I have trouble deciding which Mac mini to buy
I’m having trouble figuring out which Mac mini to buy, so I’ve posted a thread in the Mac section of Ars Technica’s forums.
Any input is appreciated, in the forums and in the comments below this post.
How Apple would approach making a TV
In the latest episode of Angry Mac Bastards, John Welch, Darby Lines and their lovely guest Kelly Guimont discussed an article from Business Insider, which cites UBS analyst Maynard Um titled “If Apple Television Is Next, Then So Is A “Genius Squad,” Says UBS”.
(The fun starts at time index 01:04:20)
They pulled the story apart pretty thoroughly, but there were two things in the article that got me thinking:
One newish idea from Um is that Apple will have to send out its geniuses to hook up Apple televisions in people’s homes. This would be another one of Apple’s competitive advantages, although Best Buy has a similar advantage.
and
What we envision of Genius Bar is similar to the Geek Squad, which is fairly well known in the US as Best Buy’s service department to facilitate technology adoption – television set installations, wireless router installations, repair services, content transfer from one PC to another, file backup, set-up services, general troubleshooting, tutorials, etc
Now to be clear: I don’t think Apple will or should build a TV, because this market is even more of a standard-resistant minefield than the cellphone business and the Apple TV seems to work fine for most people and helps Apple sell content.
Addressing Um’s two points —and talking entirely out of my ass here— this is what I think Apple would do:
- Build the device, the software and the packaging in a way that people won’t need help setting it up. In other words; make it idiot-proof.
- Get contracts in place with their favourite logistics providers that will have the delivery guy(s) carry the thing into the customer’s sitting room and maybe even heave it onto a wall.
The first thing is called intelligent design, which is something Apple seems to be really good at and the second thing is called outsourcing of non-integral tasks of the supply chain, something that Apple is also really good at.
Jason Snell’s review of the HP TouchPad
Best review of HP’s competitor to the iPad out there.
I’m routing for the TouchPad and the things that will follow it, because from what I have seen, webOS is the most promising alternative to iOS out there.
I’ve been using Palm devices for years, even programmed for the platform for a short time and I would love to see them succeed.
(via Instapaper)
"I use Apple products because they work, it’s that simple"
Really nice story by Jim Dalrymple about why he’s an Apple user.
Many of his experiences mirror mine.
I guess I will put up a “How I became a mindless Apple fanboi” post sometime after this semester’s exams.
(via Instapaper)
